College Governance & Policies

College Committees

Academic Freedom Committee

The Academic Freedom Committee reviews formal complaints as provided in the Smith College Civil Rights Policy and Grievance Procedures, to determine whether the speech or expression complained of is protected under the terms of the Statement on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression.

Academic Priorities, Committee on

The Committee on Academic Priorities establishes the educational and curricular priorities of the college, and engages in systematic, long-range curricular planning. Provost, Chair.

Administrative Board

The board administers the academic requirements defined by faculty legislation as they apply to individual students.

Admission, Board of

It is the responsibility of the dean of the college and the Board of Admission to determine admission programs and policies, subject to the approval of the faculty, administration or trustees as circumstances may require.

Athletics, Committee on

The Committee on Athletics advises the director of athletics on policies, procedures and long-term planning goals, and examine the activities of the athletic department with respect to the mission of the college.

Campus Planning Committee

The Campus Planning Committee is involved in formulating and implementing plans for the campus including facilities, landscape and traffic flow. The committee's work includes reviewing plans for major building projects, setting standards for campus beautification and overseeing decisions about changes in external appearance.

Climate Change, Study Group on

The Study Group on Climate Change (SGCC) examines how Smith, as an educational institution and residential college, could most effectively respond to the challenge of global climate change. The group explores opportunities to mitigate climate-change impact on campus and to consider, more broadly, how Smith can contribute to climate-change solutions within the framework of its educational mission.

College Council on Community Policy

The College Council on Community Policy is a broadly representative, deliberative group that meets to consider matters that concern the campus community. Its mission concerns the well-being of the community -- its capacity for collegiality and the pursuit of the commonweal while providing an excellent education to women.

Cromwell Day, Committee

Cromwell Day provides an opportunity to come together to reflect and learn about diversity, racism and inclusion.

Educational Technology, Committee on

The Committee on Educational Technology determines specific hardware and software standards for academic users at the college; determines policies for the provision of hardware, software and support services to students and faculty; and recommends to the provost the allocation of the fund for curricular initiatives in educational technology.

Faculty Compensation and Development

This committee sets policy on granting faculty members aid to scholarship and sets policy and normally monitors the funding of internal grants for faculty development. The committee advises the administration on policies regarding faculty compensation and aid to scholarship. Dean for Academic Development, Chair.

Faculty Council

The Faculty Council takes an overall institutional view for planning, communicating with the Board of Trustees and for reviewing and integrating the policy decisions of faculty committees and administrative offices. It confers with administrative officers on matters pertaining to budget, financial aid, governance, general welfare of the college and general faculty personnel issues. The Faculty Council serves as a forum for faculty ideas and concerns.

Grievance, Committee on

The Committee on Grievance reviews petitions of grievance presented by a faculty member alleging violation of his or her academic freedom, violations of federal or state laws barring discrimination on grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin, or irregularities in the application of the procedures of the college pertaining to the individual's employment.

Honorary Degrees, Committee on

The Committee on Honorary Degrees consists of three members of the faculty and three students. It makes recommendations to the board of trustees in regard to the conferring of honorary degrees.

Inclusion Council

The Inclusion Council works with the Chief Diversity Officer to promote and achieve Smith’s diversity and social justice goals. Membership includes faculty, staff and students from key constituencies on campus.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee considers all matters concerning the care and use of all live, vertebrate animals involved in teaching, research, research training, experimentation or biological testing or related usage at Smith.

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

The IBC has oversight for recombinant DNA research as required to comply with NIH guidelines, as well as work with potentially infectious biological materials, including those from human and nonhuman primates.

Institutional Review Board

The IRB maintains guidelines for safeguarding and upholding the rights and welfare of volunteer participants in research.

International Students, Committee on

The Committee on International Students assists the Board of Admission in the recruitment and admission of all students entering Smith with international academic credentials; advises the Office of the Dean of the College on academic and social matters pertaining to international students at the college, both graduate and undergraduate; and assists the assistant to the dean for international students when necessary in matters concerning the visa requirements for these students.

Kahn Institute Advisory Committee

The Louise W. and Edmund J. Kahn Liberal Arts Institute supports collaborative research among Smith and Five College faculty, Smith students and visiting scholars—all without regard to the traditional boundaries of departments, programs and academic divisions.

Kennedy Professorship Committee

The Kahn Advisory Committee, in cooperation with the selection committees for the Kennedy and Neilson visiting professorships, encourages faculty to design proposals that include prospective Kennedy or Neilson professors.

Lecture Committee

This committee allocates endowed lecture funds and more generally serves as a clearinghouse for lectures, symposia, colloquia and films for the college community.

Library, Committee on the

The Committee on the Library reviews the library operating budget, capital budget requests, space, staffing, long-range planning, and other library matters.

Marshals, College

College Marshals and aides are appointed by the president. Their duties include the general supervision of public academic functions, including the allotment and distribution of tickets where they are required.

Mellon Mays Undergraduate Advisory Committee

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is designed to increase diversity in the faculty ranks of institutions of higher learning. The committee selects up to five sophomores per year (students must be U.S. citizens).

Mission and Priorities, Committee on

The Committee on Mission and Priorities advises the president on long-range planning for the financial, human and physical resources of the college. The committee solicits, generates and reviews proposals for major new projects and initiatives, assesses progress in achieving the goals of current initiatives, and recommends priorities for the allocation and reallocation of resources.

Neilson Professorship Committee

Prehealth, Board of Advisers

The members of the Board of Health Professions Advisers are appointed by the president of the college and work closely with the staff of the Lazarus Center for Career Development.

Radiation Safety Committee

The RSC oversees the use of radioactive isotopes, X-ray generators and lasers, along with other controlled sources of radiation as listed in the college’s Radiation Safety Handbook.

Retirement Investment Committee

The Retirement Plan Investment Committee works with an investment or fiduciary advisory firm to establish Smith’s internal governance procedures, and to select and monitor investment choices.

Safety Committee for Research & Instruction

The college’s safety committees and inventory and regulatory affairs unit ensure a safe environment for students, employees, faculty and staff, as well as those visiting our facilities, and helps to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local codes and regulations.

Sherrerd Center for Teaching & Learning, Advisory Board

The Sherrerd Center for Teaching and Learning enables the academic success of all Smith students through faculty development efforts that support teaching and learning at the college.

Staff Council

The mission of the Staff Council is to give members of the administrative, administrative support and service staff a focused and direct involvement in the governance of non-academic affairs and in the life of the Smith College community.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association is charged with the responsibility for overseeing student organizations and acting as a means for students to govern their non-academic lives and academic interests.

Study Abroad, Committee on

The Committee on Study Abroad and a subcommittee on Junior Years Abroad meets to consider such matters as the chair or the subcommittees deem necessary. The Subcommittee on Junior Years Abroad holds an annual meeting with students from each of the preceding year's Junior Year Abroad programs.

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